While Wang Chang lamented that Zhang Xi was not easy to mess with, he quickly ordered the defenders to strengthen their vigilance and prepare to defend the city.
Previously, in order to use a tactic of suspicion, Wang Chang placed a false flag on the top of the city and asked 1,500 soldiers to run back and forth on the city wall, pretending to move the city's materials from the east gate to the west gate, trying to create a sense of people inside the city. Many illusions. No more now.
That Zhang Xi should have noticed the fact that General Zhang was no longer in Wugong County. Next, Wugong County may face a large-scale attack by the Shu army at any time.
Don't make any illusions, seize this little time and quickly arrange the city defense affairs.
As for Zhang Xi, after Wang Chang ordered his soldiers to convey that he would not agree to the battle, he returned to his camp with worries and began to think seriously about what was going on.
Really, it doesn't make sense.
Judging from today's call, Zhang He must be no longer in Wugong County, otherwise he would not have let such a good opportunity pass without seizing it.
Of course, Zhang He may be a little worried about Zhang Xi's invitation to fight, which gives Zhang He an advantage. But does Zhang He have any choice now? !
Time is the most precious to Zhang He now. Therefore, with such favorable conditions, even if Zhang He knows that there may be something fishy, he will definitely agree.
But now, Zhang He chose to refuse. Zhang Xi really couldn't think of any other explanation except that Zhang He was no longer in Wugong County.
But the question is, where did Zhang He go? !
On the road, Zhang Xi's army was stationed here. Unless Zhang He and the army he led could become invisible, it would be impossible to hide from Zhang Xi's army and leave Wugong County.
On the mountain road, Zhang Xi had ten groups of scouts alternately checking every day, and even at night he sent out scouts who could see things at night to keep an eye on them.
When the army marches, there is no movement at all. Even if Zhang He chooses to march late at night due to the night lighting conditions of these days, and even if all the soldiers of Zhang He's army can see at night, he still has to march with torches.
But once the torch is lit, it is the most conspicuous way of marching in the dark night, and it is impossible for the scouts not to see it.
But the problem now is - whether it is the main road or the mountain path used by the woodcutter and hunters, there is no movement of any large army marching at all.
So, where did Zhang He go? !
Zhang Xi believed in his own judgment, Zhang He must have left the city.
Zhang Xi also believed in his own scouts. With ten groups of scouts a day, it was understandable that some of the scouts would be lazy, but if ten groups of scouts were lazy together, Zhang Xi did not believe that this would happen in his military camp.
After thinking about it, Zhang Xi could only think of one possibility - there must be other roads leading to Wuzhangyuan from this place, but he didn't know it.
This means we have to "invite" the village elders, hunters, and woodcutters again to ask questions.
A few days ago, Zhang Xi invited these people to inquire about the nearby geographical trails. Later, he was worried about an accident, so he left these people in the military camp with good food and drink.
I used it again today.
However, it was true that they were provided with delicious food and drinks before, but now, well, without putting a knife on these people's necks, Zhang Xi felt that he was a humanitarian.
The hunter and the woodcutter were somewhat ignorant due to lack of knowledge, but they could also tell that General Zhang Xi didn't look very good. He was so frightened that he knelt aside and didn't even dare to express his anger. one time.
As for the village elder, after all, he is from a local wealthy family and has seen it before. Although he is also scared, he can still ask some questions.
"I wonder what the general ordered when he summoned us?!"
The old man was trembling, but he still bowed to Zhang Xi and asked.
After all, Wugong County is not a big city. If it weren't for being on the flank of Wuzhangyuan and suddenly having strategic value, there would be no official experience on weekdays.
There are no decent big aristocratic families here at all. The village elder's family may be ranked among the top three in Wugong County, but in Guanzhong as a whole, it is not even a small aristocratic family.
Therefore, the village elder was really afraid of a small family like his. When the general in front of him got angry and gave any reason, no one in the family could escape.
I really don’t blame this village elder for thinking this way. This kind of thing is actually too common in this day and age.
Although Zhang Xi is a different person, the villager doesn't know. Being able to ask the last question is already considered a very courageous villager.
As for Zhang Xi, Zhang Xi did suspect that the village elder and others had deceived him, but Zhang Xi did not intend to kill anyone.
It's not easy for people these days. Although they sometimes tell lies, they may not be sincere to scare them. As long as the truth is told, Zhang Xi doesn't want to pursue it too much.
"Let me ask you, what you said the other day is that there are only two roads from Wugong County to Wuzhangyuan. Do you take it seriously?" Zhang Xi asked with a deliberately straight face.
The village elder really didn't expect Zhang Xi to ask this, so he paused and said, "There are really only two ways. General, what do you mean by this?!"
"You really didn't hide it?!" Zhang Xi narrowed his eyes, his face became angry, and he continued to scare people.
When the village elder saw Zhang Xi's expression changed, he finally couldn't hold it any longer and knelt down.
"General, calm down, general, calm down. I really don't know," the village old man knelt down and said, "I have grown up in Wugong County since I was a child and never left a radius of fifty miles. I only know that there are two roads, and I really don't dare to hide them. General."
As he spoke, the old man wilted, glanced at the woodcutter and the hunter beside him who still didn't understand what was going on, and said, "General, I have been studying at home since I was a child and rarely travel. I know the roads outside the city." It's really not much. Why don't the general ask those two people, maybe they deceived the general."
As the old man said this, he pointed at the woodcutter and the hunter in a diversionary manner. The woodcutter and the hunter were so frightened that they knelt down and kowtowed to them.
These two men did not have as much knowledge as the old man. When the old man said that they had "cheated" the general, they could only kowtow and beg for mercy without even a word of defense coming out of their mouths.
When the old man saw it, he thought, now he had been removed. If there was any problem, it would be those two unlucky ones who were responsible for it.
But can Zhang Xi believe this? !
If Zhang Xi couldn't tell that this bad old man was diverting trouble to others, then he wouldn't think about playing tricks with Zhang He. It would be safer to go back to Chengdu as soon as possible to accompany his wife and children.
Moreover, Zhang Xi has traveled through time for more than ten years, and he knows exactly how the people at the bottom will react when they meet the officials.
Zhang Xi can scare the village elders because the village elders are well-informed. If you don't scare him, he may not tell you the truth.
But Zhang Xi naturally couldn't do this to the woodcutter and the hunter.
Zhang Xi first waved his hand and asked the soldiers to take the village elder out, and then sent Gao Xiang to interrogate the village elder again to see if the old boy knew or didn't tell, or if he really didn't know.
As for the woodcutter and the hunter, Zhang Xi personally asked them to stand up, hoping to stabilize their emotions before asking questions.
The question I was asking was still the same thing - is there any other road that can bypass the main road and lead to Wuzhangyuan.
The woodcutter swore repeatedly that he really only knew these two roads. It had been more than 20 years since he went to the mountains with his father to cut firewood when he was ten years old. He had basically walked all the mountain roads near Wugong County and could bypass them. There is only one main road to reach Dachangji.
As for the hunters, it was similar to what the woodcutter said. Although there were some small roads in the mountains, they were basically only enough for one person to walk. Even the most experienced old hunters did not dare to walk much. In the end, they had to return to the mountain road, otherwise they would have to go back to the mountain road. Once you go too deep, you may not be able to get out.
It is impossible for you to use him to march on roads that neither woodcutter nor hunters dare to penetrate easily.
Zhang Xi didn't believe that after this fright, the hunter and the woodcutter would still choose to lie to him. But if they didn't lie to him, where did that Zhang He go? !
He couldn't have withdrawn to You Fufeng, right? !
Let alone Zhang Xi, Gao Xiang and Liu Yin would not believe such a ridiculous thing even if they were left to judge.
Zhang Xi was lost in thought for a while, but the woodcutter and the hunter did not dare to leave without Zhang Xi's order, and continued to stand there blankly, waiting for Zhang Xi to give up.
In the camp, it was a little too quiet for a while.
Zhang Xi's thinking lasted just a stick of incense. While thinking about things, he stared at the map from time to time, and had no time to pay attention to Yi Qiao and Yi Xun.
During this period of time, the hunter and the woodcutter saw that Zhang Xi ignored them and had no intention of pushing them out and beheading them. Slowly, their minds began to calm down.
As soon as this mood calmed down, Orion suddenly thought of something, and when he thought of it, Orion began to tremble uncontrollably.
If I tell you this, I might have to move my head.
But if I don’t tell myself, my head will have to be moved in a few days!
Orion didn't have much psychological quality in this regard. The more he thought about it, the more he became afraid and trembled.
Then, he couldn't hold it back and knelt down to Zhang Xi with a bang.
When Zhang Xi heard the commotion, he looked back and was puzzled. Why were these two still in his military tent? !
Looking back, I was right. I forgot to let them out. If I didn't say anything, how could my own bodyguard let them out without permission? !
But, what are you doing kneeling down! ?
And you can just kneel down, why are you trembling all the time? !
Before Zhang Xi could ask, Orion couldn't help himself and told him everything.
"General, the villain is guilty, the villain is guilty." Orion kowtowed to Zhang Xi and said, "Just now, the villain suddenly remembered that when the villain's father was alive, he seemed to have said that there was originally a rule in the mountains. The old road can also lead to Dachangji."
What do you mean? ! !
(End of chapter)
